England set to learn inaugural Nations Cup opponents
England look set to kick off their inaugural Nations Cup campaign with fixtures against Fiji, South Africa and Argentina next summer.Discussions are under way to play the Fiji "away" match at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham before trips to South Africa and Argentina.England will then host New Zealand, Australia and Japan the following autumn before a grand final.The Nations Cup will take place every two years, excluding years with a Rugby World Cup or a British and Irish Lions tour.While Nations Cup organisers have stressed plans are yet to be finalised, sources have told the BBC negotiations are ongoing to stage the England against Fiji match in Europe, with Twickenham a mooted destination.The Nations Cup top division will consist of the teams that make up the Six Nations, the four Rugby Championship teams, and most likely Japan and Fiji, although their participation is still to be rubber-stamped.
While the Six Nations and Rugby Championship will continue as normal, the summer and autumn windows will see each country play the six "other" teams, with three matches in July and three in November.The matches in those windows will be amalgamated into a table, with the winners crowned after a finals weekend at the end of November.However, discussions are ongoing about some sides playing one of their "home" matches on neutral territory to reduce travel.But instead of facing England in South Africa or Argentina, it's thought Fiji are open to playing in Europe given the number of their players operating in the northern hemisphere. A match at Twickenham would also provide a significant financial boost and draw a big crowd.The Nations Cup was confirmed by World Rugby in October 2023, with the first iteration taking place in 2026 and relegation and promotion scheduled from 2030 onwards.
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